


Cocoa

by deirdre_aithne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:40:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deirdre_aithne/pseuds/deirdre_aithne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, the best gift is simply being there and showing that you understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cocoa

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I claim to, and no money is made off the writing of this piece of fanfiction.
> 
> Lots of love to lorcalon for the beta work!

Hermione laid her quill aside with a loud sigh, swivelling her chair to one side to look out the large window behind her desk. Charmed to show the sky outside, stories above her own office in the Ministry, the view was grey and heavily obscured by the swiftly falling slow. A quick _Tempus_ charm marked the hour at half past three, and Hermione turned her chair again to drop her head onto her desk with a dull _thud_.

"Come in," she muttered when there was a quiet rap on her office door, calling out again, louder, when the visitor knocked a second time. "It's open!" Hermione did not lift her head as the door swung inward, waiting until she felt a hand settle on her shoulder to raise her face.

"Spare a moment for some cocoa?" Hermione's frustrated expression melted away, shifting from apologetic to sad. Lavender smiled and leaned down to wrap her arms around Hermione's shoulders, turning to place a kiss against her cheek. "Relax, love."

"I'm sorry, Lav," Hermione murmured, reaching her arms out to circle Lavender's waist as she buried her face against the other woman's neck and shoulder. "When they said it was only a bit of work, I-"

Lavender made a shushing sound as she pulled back, perching herself on the edge of Hermione's desk. "It's just another day, Hermione. It doesn't matter."

"Lavender, it's _Christmas_!" Hermione whined, turning her chair towards the desk again and waving her hand at the stack of parchments still untouched in front of her. "I'm not supposed to still be here, I should be home with you."

"And you will be when you're finished," Lavender said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Hermione's hair. "For now, why don't you take a break and get some cocoa with me?"

"I'm going to be here all night," Hermione groused, ignoring the question in favour of levelling a glare at her paperwork. "This is ridiculous."

Beside her, Lavender sighed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, _Hermy_ ," she trilled, smiling in the face of Hermione's deadly glare at the obnoxious nickname. With a soft laugh, Lavender slid off the desk to stand in front of Hermione's chair, offering her hand expectantly. "Come on, love. Five minutes to unwind, and if you want, I'll pop home and grab a book to stay with you until you're finished."

Hermione's mouth turned up with a fond smile as she allowed Lavender to pull her to her feet. "You'd have nowhere to sit."

"You have a spare chair in the corner."

"It's uncomfortable."

"It'll do."

Lavender silenced Hermione's well-intentioned protests by claiming her lips in a light kiss, pulling Hermione against her until she melted into Lavender's arms. When Lavender pulled back, she brought one hand up to caress Hermione's cheek. "Presents and all of that will wait, Hermione. Spending time with you is the only present I need."

"That is remarkably cliché," Hermione stated, although the smile that pulled at her lips betrayed her appreciation of the sentiment.

"Well, it's true," Lavender huffed, adopting an offended tone as she stepped out from behind Hermione's desk.

Laughing, Hermione followed after her, lacing their fingers together before they stepped out of her office and into the corridor. "Does that mean I can return that ridiculous thing I placed beneath our tree for you?"

"Of course not."

Hermione arched an eyebrow at Lavender, and watched her lover's smile widen into a playful grin.

" _That_ is your apology for confining me to that terribly uncomfortable chair while you do your work."


End file.
